Amex Perk: Get a Free Jersey When Your Favorite NBA Player Switches Teams
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The NBA season is set to tip off later this month, so nobody's going to give you the side eye if you're already wearing your favorite player's jersey. But what move are you going to make if your basketball hero suddenly switches teams?
That may happen with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler, who could be traded soon, possibly to either the Miami Heat or the Houston Rockets. The All-Star has not been participating with his team during preseason and has demanded a trade.
If No. 23 gets traded — and you bought his jersey from the NBA Store using your American Express card — you could get a new Butler jersey for free in his new team's colors. If you've sworn off Butler (or a free agent who has deserted your team, for example), you could instead get a new jersey from the same team with the name and number of a different player.
This perk is a result of the American Express Jersey Assurance program, which allows you to return the jersey of any player who has been traded or signed with another team in free agency within 360 days of your purchase from store.NBA.com, fanatics.com or the NBA Flagship Store in New York City. (Jersey Assurance is valid with other forms of purchase, too, but you'll have only a 90-day window from the time of purchase for the player to switch teams.)
Here's one big caveat: You have to file a claim within 14 days of the player's trade or free-agent signing. For former LeBron James devotees, that means your window has closed, since he signed with the LA Lakers in July. Still, this is a good perk to keep in mind when next year's class of free agents signs. That free agent class could include Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. So Warriors and Celtics fans need not worry about buying their favorite player's jersey now. If either superstar bails next summer, you can ditch his uniform.
You can return your jersey by filling out a claim form online and then package and ship the original jersey for free. The NBA Store will ship your replacement for free, as well.
Which Amex Card Should You Use?
You're not going to earn a huge cache of points buying a jersey with your American Express card, although there are a few credit cards from other issuers that cater to sports fans. With most Amex cards, you'll earn 1 point or 1% cash back on your purchase. Alternatively, you could earn 2x points on up to $50,000 each year (then 1x) with The Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express.
But two Amex cards offer other NBA-related perks. If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Centurion Card, you can score free access to the Centurion Suite at Barclays Center in Brooklyn or the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles during basketball games or other stadium events. The suites are open to any cardmember with an event ticket. Amenities include:
- Premium food and beverages available for purchase
- Dedicated servers
- Flat-screen TVs
- Complimentary Wi-Fi access
- Phone charging stations
